Look, Shimano, or Speedplay?

[emily_in_nc]

Did you get the "light action" Zeros? Those are supposed to be much easier to get into and out of. I splurged and bought the original Zeros (in titanium), before light actions were introduced, and I was absolutely miserable. Even as loose as I could get everything without the cleats falling off, I had a terrible time clipping in. I would often have to ride a mile or two with my second foot unclipped -- not easy! My DH did not at all. It seemed to have to do with body weight (I'm petite and lightweight) as I just couldn't get enough torque to clip into those things w/the second foot. I ended up selling them on ebay, but I was disappointed, as once I got clipped in, I really liked them and the adjustable float.

Regular Speedplay X-series and Frogs are very easy to clip into but have a lot more float, which I didn't like quite as much...I needed some, but not quite that much; I felt like I lost some power as sometimes (esp. when I was tired), my feet would turn out a bit and my heels would hit the crankarms.

I now ride Eggbeaters Candies and am very happy with them. They have enough float (6 percent, if I'm recalling correctly), but not too much. They've gotten easier to clip into over time too, so that I never have an issue now that they're broken in. They were a little harder to get into when I first got them, but nothing like Zeros!

Good luck in your quest!

[dianne_1234]

Cleats often take up the shape of the shoe sole.

Look and Shimano cleats can be hard to clip in and float, but usually there's enough springiness it often goes unnoticed.

Smaller and metal cleats are less susceptible to shoe curvature. "Mountain" SPDs, Frogs and Crank Brothers are in this category.

Speedplays are especially sensitive to shoe curvature, as the cleat "sandwich" binds the spring if it's not very, very flat.

This is a common problem on shoes with more sole curvature, either by design or by scaling (smaller sizes sometimes have more curvature).

To improve flatness, choose the right tapered shims from Speedplay's extra parts that come with the pedals. They also have an online list or chart thingy that recomends shims by shoe model.
http://speedplay.com/index.cfm?fusea...de.searchstart

Either way, the bottom of the cleat base (the black part) needs to be very flat in order to avoid binding the spring. I've even heard of "grinding" that part on a belt or disc sander, after it's on the shoe and before bolting on the rest of the cleat sandwich.

Hope this helps,

[bluejellybean]

No, they weren't the light actions...I'm a lightweight too...I have a feeling that has a lot to do with it because a guy slipped his toe into my shoe and had no problem clipping in (he also has them and is used to them by now). I think it's also one of those things you have to get the feel of, to get the right motion and I just haven't gotten that yet. It's frustrating because they have good reviews and I really like how light they are (and the fact that they look super cool, and blue to match!)...
Still leaning towards 'what i know' ... the ultegras... oh, the decisions!!

Did you get the "light action" Zeros? Those are supposed to be much easier to get into and out of. I splurged and bought the original Zeros (in titanium), before light actions were introduced, and I was absolutely miserable. Even as loose as I could get everything without the cleats falling off, I had a terrible time clipping in. I would often have to ride a mile or two with my second foot unclipped -- not easy! My DH did not at all. It seemed to have to do with body weight (I'm petite and lightweight) as I just couldn't get enough torque to clip into those things w/the second foot. I ended up selling them on ebay, but I was disappointed, as once I got clipped in, I really liked them and the adjustable float.

Regular Speedplay X-series and Frogs are very easy to clip into but have a lot more float, which I didn't like quite as much...I needed some, but not quite that much; I felt like I lost some power as sometimes (esp. when I was tired), my feet would turn out a bit and my heels would hit the crankarms.

I now ride Eggbeaters Candies and am very happy with them. They have enough float (6 percent, if I'm recalling correctly), but not too much. They've gotten easier to clip into over time too, so that I never have an issue now that they're broken in. They were a little harder to get into when I first got them, but nothing like Zeros!

Good luck in your quest!